January 2010

Happy New Year to everyone! Like a lot of others, we're well and truely snow-bound at the moment. Still that leaves plenty of time to get on with Hands On FPS Creator.

Hope all of you who have been buying the ebook version of Hands On Milkshape are enjoying the experience. Some feedback - especially from those of you reading it on a Kindle DX - would be appreciated.

I can't believe that Digital Skills is now in its eigth year - doesn't time fly when you're having fun.

December 2009

Hands on Milkshape in PDF format

Well, we have eventually decided to try offering our latest book (Hands On Milkshape) in PDF format.

Over the years we've had so many people ask for our books in electronic format and at last we're taking the plunge to test the waters, as it were. There are several reasons for our decision:

  • Rising printing costs
  • Rising shiping charges (especially outside the EU)
  • The increasing relevance of ebooks
  • The availability of large screen ebook readers

We are offering Hands on Milkshape in full colour, PDF format. There will be no DRM security on the files, so you can read the book on any device that accepts that format.

The book files have been tested on a Kindle DX ereader where they give excellent results. When the Plastic Logic ereader is available, the files will be tested on that device too. Smaller screen ereaders will not be suitable for displaying the files.

Of course, if you want to see the book in full colour, you'll have to view the files on your computer.

Hand On Milkshape is being sold in single chapter blocks at 0.99GBP per chapter, so you don't even have to buy the whole book if you just want to read about one particular aspect of the package.

But the best part is that the total cost of the complete book will be just 9.90GBP - less than half the cost of the printed edition! And, of course, there is no delivery charge!

For more details click on the Order button above.

Hands On FPS Creator

The latest book in the works is Hands On FPS Creator which will cover all aspects of FPS Creator - another great piece of software from The Game Creators.

Expect to see the book sometime around summer 2010.





September 2009 - Hands On Milkshape

At long last the book is complete and is now at the book finishers. Copies should be available in the next few days.

Notice that we've added a Milkshape section to the website. In that section you'll find a detailed description of the book's contents and two sample chapters in PDF form (chapters 3 and 8).

The Order page also contains a link to let you purchase the book. But remember there may be a few days delay before we can send out your book

July 2009 - Hands On Milkshape

Still hard at work on Hands On Milkshape which should be available by the end of August.

Unfortunately, due to increases in postal charges and other costs, we're going to have to increase our charges for the Hands On DarkBASIC Pro books by 2.50GBP from the end of this month, so this is your last chance to get them at current prices - click on the Orders link at the top of the page.

May 2009 - Hands On Milkshape

You can't be creating 3D games (in DarkBASIC or any other package) without using a 3D modelling package. And one of the easiest is Chumbalumsoft's Milkshape by Mete Ciragan. It's one of the simplest 3D packages around, but you'll be amazed at just how much it can do. Better still, if you're a complete novice at 3D modelling, you'll be an expert in this package after a few weeks - not the years it might take with some other packages. You can download a FREE copy of Milkshape from the ChumbalumSoft website. The full package costs only $35.00.

The Hands On Milkshape book will be available from August 2009 (priced 21.50GBP). It's about 300 pages in length and, as usual, it is full of Activities to get you experienced in using the software (and the solutions are there too).

The book contains the following chapters:

  • Background Concepts - 3D Space and Modelling
  • The Milkshape Interface
  • Basic Constructs and Operations
  • Primitives
  • Reshaping Meshes
  • Extrusion
  • Additional Tools
  • Groups
  • Creating Models
  • Texturing
  • Animation
  • Using Your Models in Another Application

If you'd like a sneek preview of the book, you can download a PDF copy of Chapter 3 by clicking on the book cover image above. The 3D models needed to work through the activities in Chapter 3 are in here.

The chapter covers the very first steps in creating and manipulating vertices and faces. The PDF file shows the pages in full colour, but the book itself will be in black and white.

Your comments, please. We'd really like to get your comments on what you think of chapter 3. Anything that should be added or changed? Any errors? Any of the descriptions unclear? There's still time to make some changes! Email your comments to comments@digital-skills.co.uk. Please title your email Milkshape.



April 2009

This month sees the last part of the Ludo game and some suggestions on additional features you might want to add to the program. Find the material in the New Text section of the DarkBASIC pages.

Next month I'll be putting up a PDF chapter from the forthcoming Hands on Milkshape book.



March 2009

Oh dear! This was meant to be the February installment.

This month it's part 3 of the Ludo game gives the Level 1 routines. The final part will appear next month.

As usual, you'll find the material in the New Text section of the DarkBASIC pages.



January 2009 - Happy New Year

This month we've added the second stage of the Ludo game started last month.

As usual, you'll find the material in the New Text section of the DarkBASIC pages.


December 2008 - Merry Christmas

I've been spending so much time working on Hands on Milkshape that I've been neglecting the website, so to make amends I've added the first installment of a new DarkBASIC Pro game. It's the classic game of Ludo and it makes use of some of the earlier stuff I've covered here such as updatedable records and the slider control.

You'll find the material in the New Text section of the DarkBASIC pages.